Toy device for producing bubbles



June 4, 1957 s. NOBLE T Y DEVICE FOR PRODUCING BUBBLES Filed June 10, 1955 sap $352 BY W I WMMKYIJ ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent TOY DEVICE FOR PRODUCING BUBBLES Sid Noble, Levittown, N. Y., assignor to Ideal Toy Corporation, Hollis, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 10, 1955, Serial No. 514,667

4 Claims. (Cl. 46-8) This invention relates generally to toys, and is particularly directed to a novel device for producing bubbles.

The particular embodiment of the present invention, which is illustrated in the drawings, and which will be described hereinafter in greater detail, comprises generally a housing for containing a bubble forming liquid, and an apertured pickup member movable through and out of said housing for carrying a quantity of the bubble forming liquid into the ambient air or other surrounding medium.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a bubble producing device of the type described which is extremely simple in construction and operation, safe for use even by relatively small children, and which functions efiiciently to rapidly produce relatively great numbers of bubbles.

It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a bubble producing device having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the foregoing paragraph, which can be easily filled with liquidand properly retains the liquid during use, so as to minimize spillage and waste, which is capable of continuous operation over relatively long periods of time, and which is neat in use and completely sanitary, requiring no contact with the users mouth.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved bubble producing device of the type described in which a simple manual movement effects rotation of the pickup member about its axis, and simultaneous revolutionor gyration of the pickup member at a substantial velocity in air to dislodge liquid from the pickup member and form bubbles of the dislodged liquid.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying'drawings which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view showing a bubble producing device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view showing the device of Fig. l, and partially broken away for clarity of understanding;

Fig. 3 is a partial, rear elevational view of the bubble producing device, also partially broken away; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, the embodiment of the invention illustrated therein comprises a housing generally designated 10, a pickup member or rotor 11 mounted in the housing, a lateral extension or arm 12 on 2,794,292 .Z -Patented June 4, 1957 the housing, and a handle 13 carried at the distal end of the arm.

The housing 10 is of generally cylindrical configuration having approximately one quadrant cut away or removed to define an external, generally sector shaped recess 15 opening through opposite ends of the cylindrical housing. The housing recess faces upwards and outwards from one side of the housing, the right hand side as seen inFig. 2.

More specifically, the housing 10 includes a front wall 17 of generally circular configuration and having substantially one quadrant cut away or removed along the edges 18 and 19. A housing rear wall 20, see Fig. 3, is also of substantially circular configuration having approximately one quadrant removed or cut away along an arcuate edge 21 and a straight edge 22. The front and rear walls 17 and 20 of the housing 10 are disposed in parallel spaced, generally coaxial relation, and a curvilinear wall 23 is fixedly secured between the front and back walls, having its front and rear edges extending along the peripheral edges of the front and back walls and terminating adjacent to the cutout sectors.

It will be noted that the cutout sector of the rear wall 20 is somewhat larger than the cutout sector of the front wall 17, and that the arcuate sector edge 21 of the rear wall is spaced laterally of the front wall sector edge 18, see Fig. 3.

A generally vertically disposed wall 25, of the recess 15, is fixed to the vertical edge 18 of the front wall sector, and extends rearwards therefrom, having its upper por tion secured to an end edge of the peripheral wall 23, and terminates forwardly of the rear wall 20.

The recess 15 has an open bottom for communication with the interior of the housing 10; and further, the front wall sector edge 19 is cut away or notched as at 26, and combines with a semi-conical member orhalf cup 27 secured exteriorly to the front wall 17 to definean enlarged, liquid receiving opening. That is, the notch 26 and half cup 27 facilitate the introduction of a bubble forming liquid 28 through the bottom of the housing recess 15 into the lower region of the housing.

Fixedly secured along the curved edge 21 of the rear housing 10, and terminates rearwards of the plate 25, so

that the pickup member 11 is rotatable coaxially of the housing '10 and movable between the strip '30 and plate 25.

In particular, the pickup member 11 comprises agenerallycircular plate or disc formed with atleast one and preferably a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures or'holes 32; an'dthedisc is disposed concentrically of and within the housing, having a generally sectorshaped portion disposed within the housing recess 15 exteriorly of the housing. A pin or shaft 33 is fixed axially in the pickup member or disc 11 and extends rotatably through the front and back housing walls 17 and 20 to support the disc for axial rotation in the housing. As best seen in Fig. 4, the disc 11 passes closely between the plate 25 and strip 30.

The lateral arm or extension 12 extends generally radially of the housing 10 and is of generally tubular construction, including front and back arm Walls 34 and 35, and top and bottom arm walls 36 and 37. The distal end portions 38 and 39 of the front and back arm walls 34 and 35 extend outwards beyond the top and bottom arm walls 37 and are enlarged for receiving therebetween a portion of the handle 13. Extending and secured between the distal ends of the enlarged arm wall portions 38 and 39 is a generally vertically disposed end wall 42; and a pair of generally horizontally disposed plates or webs 43 and 44 are fixedly secured in superposed spaced relation between the enlarged arm end portions 38 and 39. A generally vertically disposed wall or partition 45 is securedbetween. the enlarged arm wall portions 38 and 39;and an additional, vertically disposed wall or partition 46 is secured extending between the front and reararm walls 34 and 35 adjacent to the housing 10.

The handle 13 is disposed generally vertically, depending from the distal end of the generally horizontally extending arm'12, and includes a lower, hand grip portion 49, and a shank 50 extending upwards between the enlarged arm wall portions 38 and 39. The shank extends rotatably through the lower horizontal Web 44 and is formed with a reduced upper end portion 51 extending rotatably through the upper horizontal web 43. An enlarged collar or shoulder 52 is formed on the shank 59,

'just above the web 44 to prevent withdrawal of the shank from between the enlarged arm wall portions 38 and 39.

An elongate shaft 55 extends generally horizontally through the arm 12 and is rotatably supported by the vertical partitions or walls 45 and 46. That is, the shaft 55 extends rotatably through the walls 45 and 46 and has its inner and outer ends, respectively, disposed adjacent to the pin 33 and handle shank 50. On the inner and outer ends of the shaft 55, respectively, are fixed spur gears 56 and 57; and a pair of crown gears 58 and 59 are fixed, respectively, on the pin 33 and handle shank 50, and each in meshing engagement with the adjacent one of said spur gears. Hence, rotation of the handle 13 in either direction about its generally vertical axis serves, through the gears 59 and 57, to rotate the shaft 55, which in turn through the gears 56 and 58, effects rotation of the pickup disc 11.

While this mode of operation may be accomplished with the housing remaining stationary, it is preferred, by slight gyratory movement of the hand grip 49, to effect gyration or swinging of the arm 12 and housing 10 about the axis of the handle. Gyration of the housing will be effected by reason of its center of gravity being spaced laterally from the handle axis. Obviously, the disc 11 will simultaneously be rotated about the axis of the pin 33. After introducing the suds forming liquid 28 into the housing 10, through the bottom of the recess 15, the above described operation is commenced. As the disc apertures 32 pass through the liquid 28, each aperture picks up sutficient liquid to form a film across the aperture and carry the film into the recess 15, exteriorly of the housing 10. The gyratory housing movement causes the disc portion exposed in the recess to pass through the surrounding air, so that the films are forced from their respective apertures and cohere to form bubbles.

Operation may be easily accomplished with one hand, and the liquid 28 is effectively prevented from spilling, even under considerable centrifugal force, as the entire outer side, the left hand side in Fig. 2, of the housing 10 is closed so as to receive and retain the liquid so displaced.

-to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims. a I

What is claimed is: V a

1. A device for producing bubbles, said device comprising a housing for containing a bubble forming liquid, said housing being shaped to define an external recess facing upwards and outwards from one side of said housings, a rotor disposed within said housing and rotatably mounted therein for movement through said housing and said recess, said rotor being formed with at least one aperture movable through said housing for picking up said liquid and through said recess to expose said liquid to the surrounding medium, an arm projecting from said one side of said housing generally transversely of the axis of rotation of said rotor, a handle mounted on the distal end of said arm for rotation about an axis transverse of said arm and the axis of said rotor, and means operatively connecting said handle to said rotor to effect rotation of the latter upon rotation of said handle, whereby gyratory movement of said handle effects rotation of said rotor in said housing and rotation of said housing and rotor about said handle to pass said exposed liquid at substantial velocity relative to said surrounding medium.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the upward facing portion of said housing recess is open for receiving said liquid.

3. A device'according to claim 1, said means comprising a shaft extending rotatably through said arm and having its opposite ends geared to said handle and rotor.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said housing is of generally cylindrical configuration having substantially one quadrant removed to provide said recess, said rotor being of discoidal configuration and arranged concentrically within said housing with one sector disposed exteriorly of said housing within said recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

